From the architect. Hotel ICHINICHI is a small hostel located in a local shopping street of Akabane, Tokyo. It is retrofitting an existing five-story reinforced concrete building with history. This building was originally built as a tiny complex housing a beauty salon and offices, as well as dormitories for its employee. Through time, it has remained vacant for several years.
The building’s interior holds a unique character with unexpected blend of styles, resulting from several remodeling in the past, including an impressive spiral stairs and a chandelier at the entrance hall, reminiscent of the days of the beauty salon.
Foor Plans
The accumulation of time embedded in this old but charming building appears to present an alternative image of modern Tokyo’s development, which we have become accustomed to. As such, we started by carefully subtracting existing elements to reveal and at times emphasize the multiplicity of its spatial layers. In some areas concrete structure is exposed, whereas only the most recently finished surface was peeled in others to either show its hidden surfaces.
The personal spaces in the shape of nested huts were then installed in the building’s redefined interior space. The size for these huts are carefully designed to provide just enough space for an average guest to stand and sleep with his/her arms wide open, relax, refresh and sleep comfortably.
The hostel owner grew up in this neighborhood, and started her business utilizing the building her relative had built. We hope this serves as a prototype for a small urban hostel situated in a humble community.
From the architect. The project is located in one of the apartment block of residential complex. during the design, we considered two essential factors to develop the concept of Mehr Khaneh interior design. The first factor is the client’s interests in the Persian civilization, culture, and values, namely the metaphors of Mithraism and sun. The second factor is the artistic character of the client, which had to be reflected in design.
Considering the budget restrictions, we aimed to develop a minimal and affordable space, yet artistic and Iranian genius loci with a symbolic approach to Mithraism.
Accordingly, by conceptualizing the design based on the styles of Loft Architecture, we used exposed concrete, rebar, and metal oxide to design the space. The choice of brick and wood as well as lighting design created a cozy and warm atmosphere that is desirable for a residential place.
One of the most important design ideas is the set of stairs located in the living room; it is a symbolic, yet philosophical element. This element is inspired from historic mehrabs and ziggurats, which are symbols of promotion and approaching closer to sun. Sun is the symbol of light, and light is the symbol of knowledge and wisdom. This design is a symbol of approaching to sun and advancing to knowledge essential for improvement and actualization of thoughts for an artist. The direction and raise of stairs are toward east and sunrise.
Floor Plan
The design of lighting fixtures is also inspired by the symbolic role of Sun, and it follows the geometric symbol of sun, which a triangle surrounded by a dodecagon, used in traditional Iranian architecture. In a part of ceiling the triangular and pyramidal shapes are used such that they are such as the extensions of the light radiation that pass through the roof and shines inside such that no barrier _even a concrete wall- cannot prevent the knowledge and wisdom.
The ancient sun pattern was used as a light frame in this unit. Furniture are designed in accord with the aforementioned concepts, realized by using materials such as concrete, rebar, and metals. Not only we applied this concept to the interior design of kitchen for consistency, we also used turquoise tiles in this space to inspire the sense of place (Genius loci) that emerges in the Iranian traditional architecture.
Considering the role of plants in traditional Iranian architecture, planting components have been placed in different parts of this unit, for example, in the kitchen, as hanging components.
In the space right in front of the kitchen, wooden materials are used to create a beautiful scenery with the special daylight available at sunset. One room is considered as the home office and meeting room, designed with simple yet creative ideas like using patterns of concrete for the floor lamps.
Although affordable materials such as concrete, rebar, and recycled wood are used in the bedroom’s interior design, our design has created a desirable and relaxing space to satisfy the requirements of a bedroom
From the architect. Jointly organized by Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA) and Singapore Institute of Landscape Architects (SILA), Archifest 2016 returns from 23 September to 9 October 2016 with a Pavilion, designed with the theme ‘Exhale’. The annual architecture festival not only celebrates Singapore’s urban environment but also sets the stage for a wider discussion about our city, spaces and life. From exhibitions, conversations, workshops, markets to architecture tours, the Archifest Pavilion @ Raffles Place Park will host an exciting program that is diverse, informative, thought-provoking and fun.
Sketch
Celebrating its 10th edition, Archifest’s theme for this year ‘Exhale’ seeks to challenge the rapidity and density of activities that define our pace of life, weigh in on the state of Singapore’s built environment and breathe new life into it.
The festival will be bringing back the popular Archifest Pavilion, after a hiatus last year. The winning pavilion design by a team from DP Architects is composed entirely of construction site materials – safety netting suspended on a frame of steel scaffolding. The gigantic Technicolor urban sculpture plays on the interaction of multiple primary colour layers that overlap to create a playful pavilion, offering a respite from the hectic city life right in the centre of the Central Business District. Professor Richard Ho, Chair of Archifest 2016 Organizing Committee said, “One of the primary aims of Archifest is to make architecture more accessible and engaging to everyone. Offering a unique and multi- sensorial experience of the city in the spirit of ‘Exhale’ this year, the psychedelic Archifest Pavilion is set to inspire more people to recognize the profound impact that design and the built environment have on the vitality of the city and our lives.”
With a line-up of more than 30 events, Archifest 2016 will feature activities for everybody. Highlights include exhibitions featuring winners of SIA Architectural Design Awards and SILA Student Design Awards; lunchtime architecture studio sessions City-Studio; specially curated Architours to explore Singapore’s hidden architectural gems; weekend Barter Market to trade good vibes; SG Farm for a dose of urban farming in the city; a Pop-up Library to borrow and exchange your favorite reads; interactive event #FlipTable to release your work stress; parent-children design workshop by ArKIDecture; as well as several Conversations with creatives sharing their inspirations and projects.
From the architect. The architectural concept design is based on the hotel itself … a “low cost” hotel where the length of stay for a weekender, a tourist, or a business traveler is only 9 to 12 hours approximately, where the stay should preferably be simple and based on the fact that hotels provide services that the client does not need, does not seek or is not willing to pay, the program was done; reduce those services to a minimum and save those cost, designing the space of the room taking a 20 foot shipping container measures as reference, optimizing the space, uses, and the election of materials and furniture with a minimalist design… the results were 20 compact rooms of 15 sqm., with the elements and accessories of the highest quality.
The building was designed and constructed taking advantage of the square meters allowed by the city and being a corner the building was implanted in such a way that all rooms had a view to the city, income of ventilation and natural lighting; the short side of the street but with major pedestrian movement was reserved for the entry of the building.
The hotel is distributed in 5 floors, at street-level are entrance, lobby, reception, administrative office and services, also the snack bar that has two environments separated with a large stained glass window, but with the same use, inside as an air-conditioned place and the outdoor terrace having the feeling of spaciousness.
The four upper floors have a repetitive distribution, modulated by its structure, optimizing the space and connected by ducts of vertical circulation, the elevator and a staircase of emergency that communicates with the room aisle, differentiated only by a space in common in the façade, a double height for the lobby, a meeting room and an upper balcony which gives access to the terrace where are located the ventilation equipment, air conditioning and domestic hot water equipment.
The location of the hotel in the downtown area of las Peñas of Guayaquil City is a privilege, being only 200 meters from the greatest tourist attractions reference of the city, Malecón 2000 and Cerro Santa Ana an also near Jose Joaquin de Olmedo Airport, Bus station and the rest of the city in minutes by expressways.
Construction methodology was done in order to use efficient and sustainable construction materials, modulation, minimum heights between slabs, etc… reducing waste of work and the structure is a mix of reinforced concrete, slabs with the TECNILOSA system and masonry with HORMI2 (reinforced polystyrene) system to reduce the weight of the building, as also the structure and piles, managing to decrease the cost of construction by square meter as well as the time of execution.
The materials in grey tones, white walls using the color black and silver to accentuate the details, as well as large windows and basic design achieve a pure, simple architecture with lots of natural lighting, giving the feeling of spaciousness in a small site of only 174 sqm.
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) has released some of the facts and figures behind the projects appearing in their recent book, 100 of the World’s Tallest Buildings. The construction of tall buildings requires collaboration between many different companies and firms and the efforts of hundreds of people, but a few select firms have been responsible for more of the design and engineering achievements than any other.
Continue reading to see the 18 design architects that have contributed multiple buildings to the top 100 list.
Visit the CTBUH “Skyscraper Center” for a full list of the top 100 tallest buildings, as well as more rankings and analytics, including Top Owners/Developers, Top Consultants, Buildings by City/Region/Country and Structural Material Analysis.
From the architect. After the successful completion of the first and second design for the Cold Pressed Juicery at the Willemsparkweg and the Herengracht, Standard Studio got asked to create their third store. Located opposite the Anne Frank Museum, right in the corner where the busy Prinsengracht meets the calm and peaceful Bloemengracht. Every morning the street is full of cyclists rushing to work and during the day the tourists will appear, trying to find their way around or simply enjoying the beautiful city. Either way, this store is located right in the center where everyone can enjoy a healthy tasty juice.
The layout has made it possible to create two different worlds. As the front we have the entrance to the Prinsengracht, a canal with so much happening that life never stops. As you enter you will notice how Standard Studio has kept the monumental characteristic of the marble floors, where the fridges are located, containing the “take away” products. The fridges are set up in a way that has been inspired by the intersection of both canals following two different directions. Commuters in the morning pop in for a few minutes, go straight to the fridges, grab their juices, and off they go to work.
Floor Plan
The calmer world is at the back of the store. This area is elevated by a few steps and is designed as a concrete box. The contrast in material and in height creates the division between both worlds. A very calming and relaxing atmosphere has been created thanks to the possibility of having the space for cosy living room setting, the addition of some plants and the pretty view onto the Bloemengracht.
Both worlds are connected with a huge tree trunk that was cut to create the counter that houses a smoothie station and the cash desk. This counter was made entirely out of a solid wooden beam weighting over 4 tons. The wood that came out of the beam was used to create a screen that refers to the graphic identity of the brand which was made by Build Amsterdam. The wood was also used to create windowsills and benches outside. For a strong spatial effect a mirror is used in the back to make the space look bigger.
If you find yourself in the center of Amsterdam, stop by and grab a juice at The Cold Pressed Juicery, and if you need to take a break just pop into the back of the store where you will find enough space to relax and enjoy the beautiful sight both of the inside and outside world.
On October 30, 2014, as Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaoré was preparing to make an amendment to the country’s constitution that would eliminate presidential term limits and allow him to extend his 27 year rule, tens of thousands of Burkinabé citizens in the capital city of Ouagadougoubroke through police lines to set fire to several government buildings, including city hall, the ruling party headquarters, and the National Assembly Building. The following day, Compaoré stepped down, ushering in a new era of democratic rule and resulting in the country’s first ever pluralistic and competitive Presidential election in 2015.
But the revolution left the former government complex in tatters and in need of a clear direction forward both culturally and architecturally. A former French colony, Burkina Faso is home to 19 million people, 50 different ethnicities and more than 60 languages. The country would require a new Parliament that could serve as a common ground for these diverse groups, while providing the technology and education necessary to create opportunities and a better quality of life for all Burkinabés.
To find this solution, last year, the new head of Parliament approached architect and Burkina Faso native Francis Kéré to develop a building and masterplan for the Assembly Building. The new building, in the architect’s words, would need to be one that could “not only address the core democratic values of transparency, openness and equality, but could also become a catalyst for growth and development for the capital city of Ouagadougou as a whole.”
At the 2016 Venice Biennale, as part of the exhibition “In search of a new Ouagadougou” at the 15th International Architecture Exhibition, Francis Kéré and his firm Kéré Architecture, unveiled the plans for their design for the first time.
Kéré’s design takes the form of a grand, stepped ziggurat that invites people to climb, enter or occupy the entire building surface. At 6 stories tall, the building would stand out from the low profile and radically flat topography of Ouagadougou, giving residents a new elevated perspective on the entirety of their city. These design decisions combine to create a new sense of democracy that is both literal and symbolic.
“In a village setting, the process of decision-making is not a private matter occurring behind closed doors; community-members are free to sit near the gathering and observe the proceedings. In this true spirit of transparency and openness, the outer facade of the parliamentary structure is designed to be inhabited by the public,” explain the architects.
The design also draws inspiration from Burkina Faso’s agricultural economy, where nearly 90% of the labor force is employed in farming. For this reason, Kéré has integrated several green terraces along the occupiable facade to create a communal laboratory for pioneering new urban agricultural techniques. The vegetation would be supported by solar shading elements, which would also provide cooling and air circulation to the building’s interior.
Inside the building, the new 127-seat Parliament Assembly hall has been designed not to replicate western models for government chambers, but to respond to local needs, resources and climate. To achieve this, Kéré looked to traditional Burkinabés government settings.
“In rural areas, the elders of a village gather to discuss important matters under the shade of a great tree. Kéré reinstated this Arbre à palabres, or tree of discussion, in a private garden directly adjacent to the formal assembly hall where members of parliament can convene more directly.”
Photo from "In search of a new Ouagadougou" at the 15th International Architecture Exhibition at the Venice Biennale. Image Courtesy of Kéré Architecture
Photo from "In search of a new Ouagadougou" at the 15th International Architecture Exhibition at the Venice Biennale. Image Courtesy of Kéré Architecture
The new parliament building will sit within a larger masterplan that will also pay homage to the site’s history – in place of the ruin of the old assembly building, Kéré has designed a memorial in the form of a shaded depression and pool in the earth where rainwater can be collected for on-site irrigation and to serve as a passive cooling system for the interior. The space is intended to create a serene atmosphere where “visitors can relax in the shade and reflect upon those who lost their lives in the revolts.”
Surrounding the memorial, a grove of native trees will provide shaded areas for seating and gathering. Nearby, new commercial storefronts and exhibitions spaces will activate the space.
Building Diagram. Image Courtesy of Kéré Architecture
In a transformative time for Burkina Faso, Kéré Architecture’s design tackles the question of “How do we move forward?” by creating a building and masterplan that are truly for its people. Says Kéré:
“We want the entire building to be a platform for people to take ownership of.”
This project is currently on display at the 15th International Architecture Exhibition Reporting from the Front for the Venice Biennale. The exhibition is on view until November 27th 2016.
From the architect. An undeveloped sixty-foot wide parcel of land, extending three blocks is a result of two residential developments merging in the 1930’s. In time, houses were built on each end of the three blocks. Moretti’s house began with the purchase of one of these 60’ x 300’ lots, the only lot without an existing house.
The street elevation gives an appearance of solid. Once past the green entry gate, the courtyards open to the sky and the living areas open to a private garden filled with sunlight.
Site Plan
The main volume of the house is clad in CMU. The two courtyards and porch are clad in paint-grip metal. The studio in the garden is clad with Douglas fir. A glass bridge connects the main house to the studio.
Two cubic courtyards are inserted within the main house composition. The courtyards serve as “light wells” filling the interiors with ambient light. The north walls of the courtyards are composed of a steel frame with white translucent panels. The sunlight is cast on the white fiberglass panels and the sunlight is constantly in motion within these courtyards. The movement of sunlight is cast onto the white translucent panels through the roof portal, reflecting the passage of the day.
The deep overhang above the south-facing porch prevents direct sunlight from reaching the window wall; even in winter when the sun’s arc of movement is lowest. The porch runs the length of the garden and serves as a threshold between the interiors and the landscape.
The overall goal of the master plan will be “to provide a market-driven strategy that outlines the best economic and environmental uses of OMSI’s physical property while highlighting the museum’s work as a cultural touchstone, science education resource, and trailhead to connect the community to learning and skill-building opportunities that equip them for 21st century jobs.”
Courtesy of Snøhetta
“We look forward to bringing the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry closer in connection to its place, people and visitors,” said Craig Dykers, Founding Partner of Snøhetta. “Together with the museum’s administration, we will certainly see OMSI blossom into a place that is more resourceful and attractive in the years to come. Portland’s future is intimately linked with the pursuit of education, a greater understanding of the sciences, and our relationship to the environment. To be a part of this journey together with OMSI is a rare opportunity to shape a larger component of society.”
Also announced were the key consultants that will work with Snøhetta on the project, including ECONorthwest, for economic and market-driven planning; Buro Happold for environmental sustainability and infrastructure design; Spencer Consultants for local planning strategy; DKS to consult on traffic and parking schemes; civil engineers KPFF; and landscape architects Mayer/Reed.
Courtesy of Snøhetta
The OMSI master plan joins a series of planning projects currently helmed by Snøhetta in the Portland Metro Area, including the Willamette Falls Riverwalk in Oregon City and the future home of the James Beard Public Market in Portland. The firm also partnered with The Center for Architecture in Portland earlier this summer to present its first full-scale exhibition of their work in North America, featuring sketches, renderings, and models.
“Portland remains one of the most inviting cities in America,” said Michelle Delk, Partner and Director of Landscape Architecture with Snøhetta. “After many years of industrialization, the city is awakening to its waterfront and natural surroundings more than ever before. The city’s food culture, social activities and environmental initiatives are helping create a new attitude along the waterfront, and OMSI’s new Master Plan will contribute to the exciting and evolving character of the city and state.”
Work on initial planning concepts will begin this month and will continue into the spring of next year. Input from surrounding communities and OMSI members will be gathered at a series of future feedback meetings.
In an incredible environment where everywhere can see the sea, building makes a gradual this approach, closing access only performing certain openings to generate cross ventilation, but opening completely at sea views.
Plan
The building is based on a volume-stone plinth, nestled on the ground, with openings on the east side, providing lower stays light, ventilation and magnificent views. On this base volume stone room, the target volume of two heights, access and kitchen-living being on the ground floor and first floor master bedroom is based, and is topped with a volume of three heights which is the stairs connecting the socket with different volumes.
The outdoor spaces are treated as part of the house, since the opening of the massive volumes sea is total, connecting the entire exterior with the interior, even in certain cases such as the kitchen window, blurring the boundary line, entering in the overall composition of the building, causing one of the materials of this project is the blue Mediterranean sea.
Sig Nordal 